Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-11-11
The Failure of the Proposed Call for a
Convention

Convention
The defeat of the constitutional conven.
tlon Is not a surprise. For some time pas,
it has BEEN apparent that not only was the
republican party and the independent nj
contingent solid y arrayed against it, bu,
that many of the officeholders of the State,
from the highest to the Lowest, were NOV.
ing in almost solid pha 'anx 10 defeat it
We have no reason to doubt. and very
great reason to believe, that republican
opposition AS expressed in the platform
"i The party, was the price paid for the in
dependent support vouchsaied the repub-
lican ticket, and this can scarcely elevate
the contract higher than the common and
ordinary political dicker by which cor
rupt bargains are made between party
bosses. The tficeholders opposition was
so purely selfish that certainly can COM
mand no respect, and victory won by
such means is scarcely matter to boast
OF. In addition to his opposition many
perfectly conscientious democrats voted
against it not only because of the expense,
bat from that conservative feeling which
suggests to so many the propriety OF let.
ting well enough alone, forgetting that we
i've in an age OF progress, and are behind
the times. II the so called "bosses" Of
the democratic party had in view the
ends attributed to them in Advocating the
convention, they would have made it part
OF their platform, and then, beyond per.
adventure, the convention would have re-
ceived the Endorsement OF the party at the
polls. The failure to do this, while emf
nently proper, left the field clear for the
interested gentlemen who hold Office to
work in, and their active lsbors in this
vineyard have borne the fruits TO be sx-
pec'ed under such circumstances. But the
principal involved has not been destroy
ed, and when The sober second thouph, is
taken, and it is seen that in order to win
lite lease on office the State is left at
the mercy of aggressive and insolvent ccr.
porations-ihe principal city OF the State
hedged in as if by barriers, aud dwarfed
in the family Of cities-our taxes UNEQUAL.
ly levied, our peculiar and defective Judi.
clal system undisturbed, and many, very
many other matters unprovided for, which
caves Us far behind other communities,
those who have done this work will not
be able to stem the curreu, certain to se,
ssainst them.
Our people Will never consent 10 wait
another twenty years for the necessary
changes in their organic law. aud no Leg
isiature elected or 10 be elected will or
can give Us the much needed relief There
has been absolutely no argument against =
for the almost idio,ic charge
that it was designed "ta get rid Of the
Judges. cannot, Of course, be digu fied in
to an srgumen'. That changes are neces-
'sry in our organic law has not been ser.
ously questioned. but the false pre,esse
hat legislative amendments could accom-.
plish the end as welt as = convention,
while known TO be false, -.reless fur
aished an excuse for those who wanted to
oe deceived The oslt !s.soa ,a ksssssfis u
hat such questions ought not to be sub
nitted to the people when party feeling |
. infamed, and when constitutional prin |
,iplcs are but thistle down in the balance |
sgains; selfish aud partisan in,eress- -
Il al the trainers of the constitution sup |
posed that in the year 1887 the bitterest
md most vindic;ivc political struggle that
sv.r disgraced our State would take place |
hey would have named . very differcnt |
late for taking the sense Of the people |
upon this mos, important subject. Those
who have proclaimed that amendments
to be proposed by the Legislature, is the
proper method Of making the changes
TO be necessary IN our presen.
have now an opportunity TO
show tha, their scheme was something
more than a trick 10 bridge over 40 cleo
lion. We shall soon see how much sim
ceri,y there was IN the proposition TO
mend-BIito .Sgs.